Systems and methods for providing a user incentive program using smart card technology

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a loyalty and rewards system that implements a user incentive program using smart card technology are provided. A loyalty system allows a user to systematically search, identify, store, and redeem electronic coupons and rebates associated with products from a large number of providers and manufactures. The loyalty system also integrates the activities associated with the user incentive program (e.g., coupon collection, storage, and redemption, etc.), with existing payment methods (e.g., charging a credit card, etc.) using smart card technology. Thus, the loyalty system allows the user to obtain savings and otherwise participate in the user incentive program without adding time consuming and tedious processing that is normally associated with coupon and rebate programs.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 675,231, filed Sep. 29, 2003, pending, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 502,132, filed Sep. 10, 2003, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in this application.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002](NOT APPLICABLE)BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]This invention relates to loyalty and rewards systems, and more specifically, this invention relates to a loyalty and rewards system for supporting a user incentive program that is implemented using smart card technology.[0004]A variety of user incentive programs are currently implemented in retail and other user-based industries to motivate users to make purchases or engage in promotional activities. While some of these incentive programs, such as coupon and rebate programs, have been effective in enticing users t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]The loyalty system may allow the user to participate in the user incentive program, for example, through a web site that is dedicated to handling activities associated with the user incentive program. The web site may, for example, present the user with the ability to search offerings such as electronic coupons and other suitable loyalty programs. The loyalty system may allow the user to access the web site and view offerings with or without using a smart card. However, when a smart card is not present, the loyalty system may prevent the user from performing certain smart card-related activities. For example, the loyalty system may prevent the user from saving electronic coupons or other loyalty programs to the smart chip on the user's smart card. Similarly, the loyalty system may also prevent the user from viewing or deleting any electronic coupons or other loyalty programs that are currently stored on the smart chip of the user's smart card.

[0036]By implementing such open buckets in the memory of the smart chips, the loyalty system may restrict aggressive sponsors from taking up too much memory space on the user's smart chip. Additionally, such an implementation may prevent the user from using all of the memory space, and therefore allow certain sponsors to always have space available on a user's smart card for their offers.

Problems solved by technology

However, when a smart card is not present, the loyalty system may prevent the user from performing certain smart card-related activities.

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